One should behave himself as Krsna conscious. Then he will be able to make others Krsna conscious - not by theoretical knowledge, but by behavior

Expressions researched:
"One should behave himself as Krsna conscious"

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

One should behave himself as Kṛṣṇa conscious. Then he will be able to make others Kṛṣṇa conscious—not by theoretical knowledge, but by behavior. Āpani ācari prabhu jīvere śikṣāya. So this is required. It is a very, very, very important movement. Any leader of the society, any political leader, any social leader, they should study. Our only request is that "Please try to understand this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement."

Lecture on SB 1.2.16 -- Vrndavana, October 27, 1972:

Kṛṣṇa is ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). Kṛṣṇa is the root of everything. Therefore anything you conceive of—politics, sociology, philosophy, religion, anything—there is adjustment if you become Kṛṣṇa conscious. That is the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.

Yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas tat tad evetaro janaḥ (BG 3.21). Therefore we want some leading personalities to become Kṛṣṇa conscious so that others will follow. So that others will follow. But if we go some leading personality, minister or prime minister, "Oh, we are secular. We have rejected Kṛṣṇa, that's all." Nonsense, what is your value, rejecting your Kṛṣṇa? Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ (SB 5.18.12). You are rejected.

You have no good qualification. You have rejected Kṛṣṇa; therefore we reject you. Harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ. Anyone who is not Kṛṣṇa conscious, he has no value. We don't give any value, however he may pose himself as a very great man. No. We say, harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇāḥ. Mano-rathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ. "Because you are not Kṛṣṇa consciousness, you are hovering on the mental plane. Therefore you must fall down." This is the conclusion of śāstra.

So here it is, śuśrūṣoḥ śraddadhānasya (SB 1.2.16). Just like you all people have gathered, there is śraddhā, that "Let us hear something about Kṛṣṇa, what Swāmījī's spoke, speaking." This is called śraddhā. This śraddhā has to be increased. Then when you come to the point of ruci, vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ, that is the beginning of our perfection.

At the present moment, there is no ruci, no taste. Vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ. There are so many exalted persons, but they have no ruci, they have no taste. They have lost all taste. Vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ. There are two faults. Either people could not preach properly so that they could not create taste of the people in general . . . it is not the fault of the people in general; it is the fault of the so-called preachers also. Because they could not create taste, they wanted to take the place of Kṛṣṇa. That was their purpose. Imitation Kṛṣṇa. Imitation God. That will not do.

You have to create taste, just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu did. Namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te (CC Madhya 19.53). Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī, when he first met Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he offered this prayer: namo mahā-vadānyāya, "You are the most munificent incarnation because You are giving Kṛṣṇa. You are giving Kṛṣṇa. You are . . . you are greater than Kṛṣṇa." Mahā-vadānyāya. Because Kṛṣṇa asked everybody to surrender. He did not give Himself immediately. But Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He's also Kṛṣṇa, in the form of devotee, He's giving Himself, "Take Me," without any price.

So vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ (SB 1.2.16). People should be educated how to increase the taste for understanding Kṛṣṇa. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Everyone should come forward. Āpani ācari prabhu jīvere śikhāya. One should behave himself as Kṛṣṇa conscious; then he will be able to make others Kṛṣṇa conscious—not by theoretical knowledge, but by behavior. Āpani ācari prabhu jīvere śikhāya.

So this is required. It is a very, very, very important movement. Any leader of the society, any political leader, any social leader, they should study. Our only request is that, "Please try to understand this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement." Just like Caitanya-caritāmṛta kaṛ says that caitanyera dayāra kathā karaha vicāra. It is not blindly accepting. Vicāra. Just judge yourself how great important this movement is. Caitanyera dayāra kathā karaha vicāra, vicāra karile citte pābe camatkāra (CC Adi 8.15). If you are sober, thoughtful, you'll find it is sublime. It is sublime.

So that is our request. The people who are leaders of the society, they should take this Kṛṣṇa conscious movement very seriously, study, and then give their judgment, and people will be happy.

Thank you very much.